I shifted my weight from one foot to another when Angelo’s gaze focused on me. He’d been so uninterested in my presence, I think he forgot I was still standing there.
“Wait a minute.” Angelo studied me with newfound intrigue. “You’re Nate’s kid sister, aren’t you?”
“On that note.” Leo jerked open the glass sliding door with more force than I think he originally intended.
“No, hold on.” Angelo chuckled and sat up straight. “I’m suddenly very interested in what’s going on here.”
“Come on, Kira.” Leo shot his brother a warning glare. “I want to show you the backyard.”
“You can show her that later. Come join us here.” Angelo patted the cushion beside him as he looked at me. “Haven’t hung with one of Leo’s girls in a while.”
“Leave her be.” Leo shook his head with a firm voice.
“And let you have all the fun?” Angelo flashed Leo a knowing smile. “Does that even sound like me?”
“Stop.” Leo motioned for me to step through the open door. He followed close behind and let out a grunt when Angelo made a quick gesture with his hands. I didn’t catch it but whatever it was earned him a middle finger from Leo.
“Sorry about him.” Leo shook his head. “He gets high on being a dick.”
I laughed a little. “It’s fine. It’s what older brothers do, right?”
“Right.” He tried to laugh too, but it didn’t come out loud enough. Something about Angelo really got under his skin. I chewed on my lip, trying to come up with something that would smooth things over. My mind remained blank long enough for the moment to pass.
“This way,” Leo instructed and led the way across a large wood deck, equipped with an outdoor sitting area that put my family’s folding table and wooden chair set up to shame.
He started down the stairs toward a pool that was longer than it was wide, with bright white lights under the surface. It was purely for spectacle and entirely nonfunctional if you were a serious swimmer like Leo was.
What a wasted opportunity, I thought while taking in the water. You’d think a family with this much money would invest in something practical if their kid was working toward becoming an Olympic qualifier.
“Here okay?” Leo gestured to lounge chairs that were so white I wondered how they stayed clean in the humidity.
“It’s fine.” I sat down and he took the seat across from me.
“I want to show you the schedule coach currently has me on,” Leo explained as he scrolled through his phone without looking up at me. He placed his elbows on his legs, leaning closer to me.
While he hunted for the information, I did my best to find a sitting position that looked relaxed.
Appearing unbothered was the major struggle when sitting across from someone you were pretending not to like. When they were just a few inches away and one slight movement would result in your knees brushing against theirs, the mission was to position yourself without touching them. I failed said mission.
My ankle knocked against the inside of his leg. It looked like I’d tried to press myself against him. The not-so-subtle brush of my bare skin against his made me inhale a little too deeply.
Where my limb was willowy, his was hard. Leo’s leg didn’t budge an inch when I knocked into it. His feet stayed planted firmly on the ground as he looked down at my movement curiously.
I couldn’t pull away. Not immediately. Not without looking ridiculous for doing something so weird in the first place. So, instead, I slowly repositioned and laughed a little to play off my embarrassment.
“Sorry,” I added. “Didn’t mean to crowd you.”
Leo shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”
I nodded, but still slowly moved my leg away. Before I made too much progress, Leo’s hand rested on my calf. I paused under the sudden touch. He barely placed any pressure on my skin as he slid his fingers down my leg, towards my ankle. The tips of his fingers sent an impressive spark in the opposite direction of where he was going. He stopped right above the chain anklet I wore and gently nudged me back against him.
“I don’t mind crowding,” he promised and let go of me to resume searching for what he wanted to show me on his phone.
I swallowed a heavy breath. My ankle pressed against him shouldn’t have made my body feel this warm.
I’d been with guys before. Touched, kissed, slept with guys before. But his touch felt more meaningful because it was coming from a guy who habitually avoided me for years.
With a steadying breath, I peered up at Leo. I needed to see if he was feeling something similar. Any emotion would do, but his face looked normal. Not a wrinkle in his brow or a tilt in his lip. My heartbeat slowed at the sight. I brushed at my cheeks like I could wipe away the telling red on my skin.
